mythdrannorfandomcom-20200214-history
The Zhentarim
"Weak? You think the Black Network is weak? Hah! If anything, the razing of Zhentil Keep made it stronger! Cyric's muddling seemed to be exactly what the Zhentarim needed to get rid of the riffraff and get back to the buisness of ruling the entire Moonsea region.. and everywhere else for that matter" Flobrin Helver, Sembian caravan master to an employer, watching several of his wagons burn. The Zhentarim The Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, is an evil organization intent on dominating the land from the Moonsea to the Sword Coast North. Originally a secret society, for years the Zhents have operated openly in the Moonsea area, particularly around their greatest base of operations, Zhentil Keep. People who live near Zhentarim strongholds grow used to caravans with its symbol but live in fear that someday they will see armies marching under that banner. While many of the Zhentarim are nothing more than opportunistic merchants, some resort to illegal acts such as attacking rival caravans, extorting villages for food, or more serious crimes such as arson and murder. The Zhentarim hire bandits to attack other caravans and towns, or have wizards conjure up or enrage monsters. Fear of this cabal has spread from the Moonsea lands across the Heartlands to the Sword Coast, where everybody "knows" the Black Network is a sinister, murderous organization of spies, informants, armies, and flying-monster-riding wizards engaged in all sorts of secret and terrible activities. Folks who live in the Dragon Reach lands know rather more about the Zhentarim. They can tell you that it rose to open rule and power in Zhentil Keep, seized control of the Citadel of the Raven from the other Moonsea cities that shared it, conquered Teshendale, Voonlar, and Yulash, and plotted the conquest of Shadowdale, Daggerdale, and Mistledale. The Zhents have entire armies hidden away in the Citadel and a sinister fortress, Darkhold, somewhere in the Western Heartlands. Zhent gold and sorcery govern affairs west across the Anauroch (until the arrival of the Shades, anyway) to the vales of the Gray Peaks, east to the Mulmaster, north through the Ride and the Cold Lands to the Great Glacier, and south through the weaker Dales. The Zhents are soldiers commanded by cruel minor wizards possessing more ambition than power, who report to truly powerful mages (the Black Cloaks) headed by Lord Manshoon—the Zhentarim's founder. The Zhentarim can also count amongst their forces some beholders (led by one named Xulla), many clerics of Bane, and (with much rarity, except in Darkhold) clerics of Cyric. The Zhentarim desire to enrich themselves and control towns, villages, and entire realms along a trade route linking the Moonsea to the Sword Coast—the Waterdeep area, specifically—via Darkhold. Along that route, they smuggle slaves, poisons, and contraband. They have spies almost everywhere in northern, eastern and western Faerûn. Fzoul Chembryl, the ambitious Chosen High Priest of Iyachtu Xvim, joined the Zhentarim when Lord Manshoon (then leader of the Zhentarim) forged an alliance with him. He served as second-in-command for years, seemingly content with his position, but he schemed with another high-ranking Zhentarim, the Lord Orgauth (the lord of Zhentil Keep who was, in fact, not human as he seemed, but a fell pit fiend) and eventually ousted Manshoon from power. Fzoul intended to turn the Zhentarim into an arm of the faith of Xvim (now the faith of Bane), and forced from the Zhentarim both loyalists to Manshoon (including Manshoon's lieutenant, the powerful mage Sememmon) and the faithful of the rival deity of Cyric. This led to a brewing war within the organization, with the western Zhentarim of Darkhold led by Sememmon and the Cyrisists opposing the Zhents and Banites, until Sememmon was forced to abandon Darkhold and go into hiding. The Zhentarim of Darkhold, however, led by the evil Cyrisist knight known as the Pereghost and a priest of Cyric called Dhamir Ercals, remain at odds and on the verge of war with the Banites. Fzoul, having slain Orgauth, had almost gained full control over the Zhentarim. An agreement made with Khelben Blackstaff has prevented Fzoul from organizing Zhentarim expansion into the Sword Coast, but the agreement would not last forever. Among the ranks of the Zhentarim's other major players are the Banite priest Teldorn Darkhope—the lord of the Zhentarim in Mintar, though he was recently slain in Yulash. Lady Scyllua Darkhope—Zhentil Keep's champion, who administers the defenses and day-to-day affairs of the keep itself. Apart from Fzoul, the most influential member of the Zhentarim remains Manshoon, for despite being forced from command and actually slain, his death awakened over a dozen magical clones who attacked each other in the so-called Manshoon Wars, and eventually several escaped, including one (seemingly the Manshoon) who returned to the Zhentarim some time later to work directly for Fzoul. Recent Activity: The Zhents have had a bloody hand in recent history within the Moonsea and the Cormanthor. When Yulash disappeared from the realms in 1372, the Zhentilar focused on internal objectives, the battered city no longer an issue. In 1374, the Zhents created a temporary alliance with Hillsfar, their two armies joining the conflict against the drow who had destroyed elventree and took over most of the Cormanthor. A few months later, the city of Yulash "returned" to Faerun, and the alliance between Zhentil Keep and Hillsfar crumbled at once, as both armies began fighting over the prize once more. Towards the end of the year, a ceasefire is called in Yulash, the city being split into three sections: Zhent, Hillsfarian and Independent. In the beginging of 1375, the temple of Bane is attacked by unknown assassins, its clergy eliminated, including the influential priest Teladorn Darkhope. War errupts due to this between Zhentil Keep and Hillsfar, the Red Plumes managing to crush and drive of the Zhent army from Yulash. The Zhentarim retaliate by launching a massive navel strike upon the Plumes navy, destroying many ships and forcing the rest back into port, subsequently blockading them. Meanwhile, a massive Zhentarim force lands on the coast nearby, disembarking to lay siege to the city of Hillsfar. Miraculously for Hillsfar, a large Dalelander army, which had been marching north, joins up with the Plumes, in order to fight the Zhentarim. Aided by Elves from the Elven Court, adventurers from Yulash and even Purple Dragon Cavalry from Cormyr, the Zhentilar are driven from Hillsfar, the seige lifted. In the last few months of 1375, the Zhentarim were one of several factions vying for control of Myth Drannor. While they managed to obtain a foothold within the ruined elven city, they were quickly driven out with the emergence of a horde of demons. Known as the Demon War, the Zhentilar, the Thayans/Hillsfarians and the newly created Alliance of humans and elves, fought the encroaching tide of abyssal spawn. However, they did not do so in consert, nor were the Zhents allied with them in any way. The Zhentilar allowed the other factions to do most of the dirty work, only sending in their army when the demons had lost a great battle. Do to this tactical forsight, the Zhentilar managed to seize control of the western gate to the City of Song. Since the defeat of the demons a month ago, the Zhents have mostly kept to themselves, but have heavily fortified their district of tha ancient elven city, pleased with a base so close to their desired conquests...the Dales. Base of Operations: Zhentil Keep PC Contact: none DM Contact: DM Silvanus/Aramil Nelad Category:Faction